Can Cell Phone Recycling Really Help Protect The Environment?

Read More About Cell Phones

Do we need to recycle cell phones? Absolutely!

For a long time, I was one of those who never had a clue that mobile phones can be even be recycled. A lot of people these days have one or two cell phones stashed in a closet somewhere. After a while, when we find these old cellular phones again, these will most likely end up in the trash bin, and eventually, in our city’s dump site.

However, like other problems resulting from our consumerist lifestyle, there’s always a better way. Cell phone recycling is the better, more environmentally-responsible, even more financially-rewarding alternative.

A Billion Cell Phones Gathering Dust

There are now an estimated 800 million used cell phones in the US, today. Every year, about 125 million discarded hand sets are added to this number. In a 2007 study, market researchers confirmed that only 9.4% of the population made the effort to recycle their old phones, 36.8% stored their cell phones in their lockers, while a shocking 10.2% admitted to just throwing away their cell phones. What this means is that every year, 37 million more phones gather dust in our drawers and 10 million more leak toxic elements into our landfills!

Whenever I think about the extremely poisonous metals and chemicals used in cell phones and other e-waste, I couldn’t help but be alarmed. I’m talking about heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead found in the circuit boards of our cellular phones. I’m talking about chemicals like BFR (brominated flame retardants) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) in the casings of these units. Exposure to cadmium may cause cancer, respiratory and bone density conditions, and liver and kidney failures. One research suggests that exposure to lead may explain the creation of criminals in some neighborhoods. It’s a highly toxic metal that causes brain growth problems in juveniles and severely diminished brain functions in adults. Exposure to large amounts of this toxic metal may cause organ failure and death.

In regards to solid waste disposal and landfills in this country, can we guarantee that the e-waste we dump in our landfills wont be able to leach harmful chemicals to our underground water systems? I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to gamble on the health of my family or yours, in such uncertain arrangements. The probability of contamination is forever present. Dumping electronic wastes in our landfills is tantamount to poisoning ourselves.

How Do People Make Money From Cell Phone Recycling?

Recycling your cell phone can be quite profitable. Trading and refurbishing enterprises will pay as much as $50 cash (depending on the model) for every unit you turn in. Postage is usually free for pouches containing at least 5 units. The company will then unload these refurbished cell phones to wholesale buyers here and abroad, helping advance mobile communications in developing countries in Asia and South America.

Umicore, a Belgium-based giant recycling company, extracts precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, copper, and coltan, as well as manufacturing materials like glass and plastic from tons of old cell phones. They call this process “surface mining.” There’s actually more gold to be found in a ton of used phones than from 17 tons of gold rocks! Only half of 1% of the e-waste that go through the meltdown process can not be returned to the production cycle and is then burned for electricity generation.

Some people think “urban mining” or trying to extract these valuable metals from mobile phones, on your own, at home, is a cool thing to do. It’s not. Toxic industrial chemicals are used during this process and this could pose a serious health risk to you and your family. It still is a bad idea trying to extract trace amounts from a few used phones, even if you’re properly trained to handle industrial chemicals. The big smelters make money by melting down tons of these cell phones.

Ways to Recycle Cell Phones

Recycle your cell phones through to your favorite charity.

I’m sure that, in the past, you’ve given assistance to a charitable organization like The Salvation Army or a health-advocacy and support group like the Smile Train. Well, did you know that you can also help them through cell phone donations? It’s definitely a great opportunity to help your favorite non-profit raise money for their worthy activities, by giving an item that’s otherwise, useless. In the hands of these organizations, your cell phones could be instrumental to make a difference in other people’s lives.

Give your old or used phones to family or friends.

On average, US users discard their phones for newer models every 18 months or so. Now, after 1 and ½ years of use, these old phones are still quite functional. You can lengthen the utility of these phones by handing them over to a relative or a friend. Don’t forget to ask your friend or relative to recycle the phones properly, when she discards it, later.

Recycle cell phones through recycling and refurbishing companies.

Would you like to sell your old mobile phone to a trading and refurbishing site in the internet? It’s a fast and easy alternative, you can check out the actual price for your used phone and request for free shipping label from their website. The site normally pays for shipping of envelopes containing 5 or more units. After printing out the labels, you can mail your phones to them, and wait for your money in the mails, which generally, takes about 4-5 working days after they received your phones.

Send your old cell phones to the manufacturer or service provider.

Mail your discarded phones back to the manufacturer or service provider. Service providers like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all have take-back or trade-in programs, make sure to inquire about it when you purchase that new iPhone you’ve been eyeing these past few months. Sending back your phones to the phone maker will ensure that these phones are recycled or refitted responsibly. Availability of raw materials is a major focus for these firms, and it is to their benefit that subscribers send back these phones, as this will ensure a perpetual flow of materials for their production process.

To quote the US Environmental Agency (EPA), it’s an “easy call” to recycle our used phones. If every one pitches in, we all can make this work. It’s not just about preserving the environment, cell phone recycling also protects our health. Let’s all recycle our cell phones, today.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Joseph Campbell contributes articles to the Pacebutler Recycling and Environmental blog. Pacebutler Corporation of Edmond, Oklahoma is one of the phone trading companies that buy used phones directly from US phone users. If you would like to donate cell phones to your favorite non-profit , please visit the cell donations page.

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